5 comments about Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Nine Inch Nails.

1. As a father of three and a devout fan of hard rock/metal, I was rather skeptical of the concept of rock songs turned into baby lullabies. However, when I found out my wife was pregnant with our first child together (child #2 for me) I immediately thought about this series that I first blew off as nonsense. What a better way to connect with a tiny infant then sharing what you love the most aside from your family. My first purchase in the series was the Hot Topic exclusive edition and I found it phenominal. My daughter, during her stay in the hospital, would fall asleep in my arms to the tunes of Slayer, Tool, Nirvana to name a few on it. It was a welcome addition to our collection.
   By the time daughter two came around, this album came out. The haunting opening to Hurt would just soothe her to sleep. Having heard the songs while in the womb, she knows what they are. Every night we turn this on or any of the other Rockabye's that we own. For any fan of NIN, you can actually hear the "real" version playing in your head while you are taking care of your child. It's almost as if this was a Halo that Trent himself put out in the same vein as Ghosts I-IV or Still. The Hand That Feeds translates surprisingly well. Closer focuses more on the ending of the song then the opening. Sin is also a favorite. Something I Can Never Have makes me think of it as the remix that never was.
   All in all, a great buy for any fan of NIN looking for a slower pace. For parents looking to share their passion? A must.



2. I really can't imagine how a baby would feel about this. How young can they perceive the emotions of music, and can it upset or disturb them? Or will it simply not have the soothing effect that you're looking for in a naptime/bedtime CD? The farthest back I can remember is age 2, and at that time sad or angry-sounding music upset me easily. But perhaps before that age we don't have the necessary empathic perception skills yet to be bothered by it. I would suggest being aware of your baby's reactions if you play this (or any of the other darker-sounding rockabye renditions) for them - i.e. take note if they start having nightmares or seem otherwise scared or upset :P



3. I enjoy all the rockabye renditions. I teach preschool and it is a nice break for me too when I put any of these selections on at naptime. This one is my favorite though. I am a big NIN fan, so it was nice to hear even some of their newest in this remix. I can't wait for Green Day's rendition to become available in the near months.



4. I have six Rockaby Baby! cd's. This is my least favorite. I love Nine Inch Nails, but they missed the mark with this one. I was really disappointed when I first listened. Maybe it will grow on me, but it's going to take a while before I listen again.



5. My pregnant wife and I just got home from Baby Celebration in Los Angeles, where we first learned about these CDs. I was immediately impressed by the Nine Inch Nails CD, so I purchased it on the spot. I have to wonder whether minor key compositions are somehow detrimental or otherwise unsoothing to babies, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. For my part, I love it. It's a brilliant idea.

5 comments about A Child's Celebration of Rock 'n' Roll.

1. I loved this C.D. it has all the songs that my Mom and I listened too, my kids didn't like it so much, they only like 1-2 songs on the whole disk, I guess I am starting to get out dated with the new generation, my children are only 4 and almost 6 and I thought they would love all the catchy music, but not so.



2. Not only does my five year-old son love it, but I do too. I just turned fifty, so I can relate to these songs' heyday. My boy loves them because they're joyfully silly!



3. My five year old son and I both enjoy this CD. The songs are oldies but goodies and really get him moving. We've listened to it while stuck in traffic and ended up having a lot of fun! I recognize some of the songs from when I was a kid, like Monster Mash and Chewing Gum, and then there are ones from well before my day like Rockin' Robin.
   I highly recommend this CD!



4. As a mom, I am always on the lookout for music for my young kids. Our oldest wanted something he could keep in his room to listen to, but so many CDs these days have questionable lyrics. I wanted something he could listen to whenever he wanted. I found it!!
   
   This CD is so much fun for the whole family to listen to...kids, parents, grandparents...everyone will love it! I was amazed that I could get all of these fabulous songs by ORIGINAL ARTISTS on one CD for this price! Usually, you will pay this much for music done by immitation artists. This was great! The kids thought so many of these songs were funny...Yakkity Yak; Splish, Splash!; Willie & the Hand Jive. We all had a few laughs and some very funny dancing. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!



5. A lot of the classic Rock and Roll songs of the late 1950s-early 1960s on this album. This is a great album to introduce to young kids and adults who love classic rock and roll songs.

3 comments about Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Beach Boys.

1. I have the Coldplay, Radiohead,and Beach Boys Rockabye CD's and the Beach Boys is my favorite one. It sounds the most like the Beach Boys songs, and my son will have a good idea of how the songs go.



2. I got this CD as a gift when I was pregnant and thought it was pretty goofy. In fact, I don't particularly care for the zylophone music on the CD, it gets a bit annoying without the lyrics. But now that it has hushed my little one up on all of 10 occassions without fail, I'm a big fan of it! If she's crying in the car, I just pop in the Rockabye Baby CD and she automatically hushes up! No other sound has this profound an effect on her. It's almost eerie how automatic her hushing is upon hearing the music. I highly recommend this CD for anyone with a new infant.



3. We also have the RockABye Baby-The Cure! Highly recommend. I've givien it as a gift to excited expecting Mommys. It's Unique and my son falls asleep with it every night. I ment to give it 5 Stars but when I went back to edit, after saving, I couldn't change it.

5 comments about Free To Be ... You And Me (1972 Television Cast).

1. This was my favorite album when I was growing up in the 70's. I rented the dvd a few months ago from netflix and watched it w/my girls. They loved the baby puppets!!! I ordered the cd so we could listen in the van and am ordering dvd for xmas. Yes, some of the songs are a little dated, but no more than everything else that's coming back from yesteryear. It is nice to share something from my childhood that my kids will actually admit to liking and not being too cool for mom's stuff.



2. I recently ordered this "album" for my grand daughters. It was my son and daughter's favorite in the '70's. We saw Marlo Thomas in person sing these songs in New York and have loved them ever since. It is a GREAT story line for all kids with a very feel good message for confidence.



3. I was born in 1983, but this album was a staple of my childhood. Born into a family of strong, Irish women who were, at that point, pretty much doing it on thier own, this album was relished at family gatherings. My mother and aunts wanted all of us (and by all of us I mean some of born in the 70's and some in 80's) to understand that just because we were girls didn't mean we had to be teachers or ballerina dancers, and just because we were boys we didn't had to be firemen or police officers. This album preaches absolutely wonderful values to both the young and the young at heart. At 24, I still know every lyric and love to sing all the songs at the top of my lungs. God bless Marlo Thomas and friends for creating such a classic. I can't wait to pass this music on to my children the same way it was passed on to me!



4. Free To Be...You And Me emerged as one of the first and most successful mainstream efforts to teach children that they could grow up to be what they wanted to be regardless of their gender. This CD replicates the 1972 original cast album chock full of celebrities encouraging children through words and music to be truthful to themselves and others about their likes, dislikes and their hopes for the future. Girls were no longer to be restricted to working as housewives and boys could enjoy dolls as one way to prepare themselves for the real life challenges of being a good father.
   
   The CD starts out with the folk-style song entitled "Free To Be...You And Me" sung by The New Seekers. They harmonize beautifully and the musical arrangement makes great use of the guitar and piano. This song makes it clear that children can and should grow up to be the person they truly want to be. This optimistic message with its infectiously catchy melody provides the album with a very strong start.
   
   The CD continues with a very amusing dialogue between two newborn infants in a hospital nursery. Mel Brooks and Marlo Thomas perform the voices of the babies; and they manage to conclude that Mel is a baby girl and Marlo must be a baby boy. Imagine their surprise when they find out that using traditional stereotypes for the physical attributes for grown men and women don't go with the way they see themselves!
   
   Other great tracks include Diana Ross singing "When We Grow Up;" this number sends the message that looks don't matter as long as you like yourself and the way you look. The great Harry Belafonte and Marlo Thomas sing "Parents Are People" to teach children that mommies and daddies can work any job they wish. Moreover, there's the awesome song "It's All Right To Cry" sung by football star Rosey Grier. I remember how surprised we all were when Rosey Grier, a tough guy football star expected by old conventions to hide his feelings, actually sang this song; and he performed it well on TV, too.
   
   "William's Doll" tells children that kids of both genders can make good use of dolls as toys. At first blush it might be surprising or disappointing that a boy would want a doll; but his grandmother has the good wisdom to give him a doll so that he can practice being a good father. "William's Doll" is a very sweet song performed very well by Alan Alda and Marlo Thomas. Similarly, "Atalanta" discusses in story form the fact that not every girl wants to marry--at least not right away. Atalanta wants to see the world before she even considers marriage; and this story is told so well you truly have lots of understanding for Atalanta.
   
   The CD concludes with a brief reprise of "Free To Be...You And Me." This final track reinforces the message that every child can grow up to be his or her own person.
   
   The liner notes give all the song credits and it's truly a pleasure to hear all these very talented artists and actors performing on this album. The sound quality could be a little better but the high quality control of the content makes me give this CD five stars anyway.
   
   I highly recommend this for every parent who wishes to communicate to their children in a fun, meaningful and inspiring way that they can truly become the person they wish to be. Children can become adults who make meaningful contributions to society even in the most unconventional of roles. Girls can grow up to be brain surgeons and members of the presidential cabinet; and boys can aspire to be nurses who share the household chores with their wives or girlfriends. It was a powerful and relevant message in 1972 and these lessons remain very important today in these times.



5. I listened to this when I was a kid and loved it. I bought it for my children and although they are still pretty young, I am hoping the messages contained therein seep into their little heads. This should be required listening for everyone! It is just as relevant today as it was in 1972! A little groovey- a little folksy but just great.

4 comments about Down at the Sea Hotel.

1. This terrific album has replaced my toddler daughter's personalized lullaby album - she requests it every night and for naps. It is relaxing and a little bit folksy - it is my new favorite baby gift!



2. Our daughter, now 3 months old, has been soothed by this CD from birth. The singers are all have beautiful relaxed voices, and the audio quality is superb. What's great is that adults can listen to it over and over without it getting tedious, unlike with many childrens' CD's. It's beautiful music, with top-notch folk singers, like Lucy Kaplansky and Guy Davis. It has become our favorite gift to other new parents like us.



3. Played this at a baby shower I hosted, was well-recieved by tots and adults alike. Has a nice folksy sound.



4. This enhanced CD is the paperless version of a project that includes both a picture-book for kids, and a 14-song CD that will be enjoyed not just by the kids, but by their parents and grandparents as well.
   
   The book, which is included in the CD as a printable .pdf file, features beautifully whimsical illustrations by Mireille Levert, inspired by the lyrics of a Greg Brown lullaby. (The book is also available in traditional hard-cover format, with a copy of the CD included.) But the real gem is the music: lesser-known lullabies written by well-known contemporary songwriters and performed by top musicians of Red House Records.
   
   The recording will be of special interest to fans of The Wailin' Jennys. It's the first CD with the Jennys' new lineup, which now includes Heather Masse (the group's third alto) and instrumentalist Jeremy Penner, who in early 2007 joined the founding members, soprano Ruth Moody and mezzo Nicky Mehta.
   
   Even in an album full of lovely songs, the two performed by the Jennys stand out. With sparse, beautifully arranged instrumentation, their vocals shine. Masse sings lead on Neil Young's "Barefoot Floors," while Mehta takes the lead on "Trick Rider" by Gord Downie. Both songs feature the Jennys' signature exquisite harmonies. The Jennys also join all of the other singers on the opening and closing cuts. The closing, "Nothing But a Child" by Steve Earle, may well be the prettiest Christmas song you'll hear the entire holiday season.
   
   The project is dedicate to the memory of Bob Feldman, the well-beloved founder of Red House Records. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Fund, an organization dedicated to eliminating the environmental causes of breast cancer.
   
   So what you have here is a CD that is full of gorgeous music for adults and kids alike, plus the digital version of a delightful picture-book, all supporting a good cause. How can you miss with that?

5 comments about 101 Toddler Favorites.

1. Okay, if I were looking for a CD of music that I enjoy I would not buy this. However, this collection of music is a purchase for my 18 month old daughter - and she LOVES it!
   
   She especially loves hearing the children sing...yes, bad pronunciation and all. What children don't love to hear other children??? I'm not sure what another reviewer was listening to that made her feel the children on the CD's were not enjoying themselves. The children I heard seemed to be having a ball.
   
   The entire collection of songs seem to be very upbeat and fun, without being obnoxious or overdone. Like many other reviewers' children, my daughter has memorized many of the songs. She also loves to flip through her Mother Goose book to find the Nursery Rhyme that goes with some of the songs. (Ba Ba Black Sheep, for example)
   
   I also find it's much easier to participate with the music on this CD than some others I've heard. My daughter and I are always inspired to dance and sing along. You really can't go wrong with this purchase.



2. Song-wise, this looks like the perfect children's CD with all the traditional favorites. But the "various artists" tag is, unfortunately, misleading. One (or maybe two) women sing nearly all the songs, with a child singing a couple, I think.
   
   why is it SO hard to find a CD with traditional children's classics (Old Macdonald, Bingo, etc.) all performed by different artists AND not "jazzed up" or with a full-kit band? It's for my 3-month-old, for crise-sakes!!!!



3. I have cheap, "kids-proof" music system, and it would not play these CDs! This is the first disc my kids can't play.
   
   Most likely, copy protection, that my simple system does not support.
   
   No problem playing it on PC - but that was not an intention.



4. We love all the songs on this CD. It's a really great value for the price. There are more songs than you can imagine. We love to dance and sing everyday to this music.



5. Want to teach your child the songs you knew when you were a child, then this is the CD to do it. It has all of the old favorites. Some of them have been updated and sound a little funky to me, but my daughter loves it, and since I already know all the words, I can sing along too. It offers some variation since it comes with four CDs and we can have one in each car and two left to swap out for later.

5 comments about Dance & Sing: The Best of Nick Jr..

1. Over all a good c.d.. We our mostly noggin watchers than nick jr but the theme tunes on the c.d are the shows that are on noggin.
   The nick jr filler songs by a charcter named face my daughter and I don't know so my daughter is less intrested in those songs but great to have the songs my daughter loves to sing to, when they come on t.v



2. This CD is a good compilation of Nick Jr songs-- especially some of the older shows that are no longer aired. My older daughter particularly likes this-- it helps her remember shows like "Gulla, Gulla Island"-- it was a favorite! My younger daughter likes the catchy tunes, and lyrics from Face and Blue. Its a hit with us!



3. My Children Love this disc, my daughter runs around with it asking me to play it.



4. My three and one year old kids both LOVE this cd. They sing along to their tv favorites and like the ones that are new to them. It's really not too bad for mom and dad in the car either. A WARNING!!! Some of those catchy kids tunes will stick in your head all day and you'll find yourself singing "Oranges grow on trees on trees", but it's a small price to pay for peaceful car trips.



5. Nick Jr. has been a part of our family since my oldest son Joshua was about 2 years old. I would sit down after breakfast with him and watch the shows that have become part of his childhood memories. Not long after, his sister was born and it wasn't long before she was fascinated with Blues Clues, Dora, Face, Gulla Gulla and many other shows with their easy to understand stories and songs. The children and I would sing and repeat the songs. Actually I would sing and they would listen and laugh. I still don't know what my wife was thinking all these years. Now we have a third child and he really gets into it. But then he's a chip off his old man's shoulder. This CD is great for travel, especially long distances where it keeps children concentrating on the songs instead of distracting me while fighting with each other.

5 comments about The Mozart Effect: Music For Children, Vols. 1-3.

1. These CD's are very uplifting and will leave you in a great mood. These are wonderful for children to listen to on a daily basis.



2. It's okay. For the classroom, there is one CD that's good background music for working at desks and one that's good for dancing. But I'd rather listen to "real" classical music with kids.



3. Our whole famiy loves these CDs! They are very relaxing to listen to while playing games, drawing, or building! I'm no music expert, but I thought the sound quality was good. We listen to them almost everyday! In fact, our kids request 'Mozart music' when playing and it does seem to help keep them focused on one thing for quite some time. :)



4. Some scholars claimed that the Author of "The Mozart Effect", Don Campbell, overemphasized his theory. I bought his 2 books, and this set of CD to find out whether his findings are legitimate.
   The more I listen to Mozart, according to his arrangement, the more I'm convinced. The Mozart Effect: Music for Children, Volume 1-3 is an excellent prescription for the young and older mind, alike.



5. I have not heard this CD but the idea that listening to Classical music in the womb has been disproven by legitimate scientists for a long time. A simple search found the following...

   "The Mozart Effect is an example of how science and the media mix in our world. A suggestion in a few paragraphs in a scientific journal becomes a universal truth in a matter of months, eventually believed even by the scientists who initially recognized how their work had been distorted and exaggerated by the media. Others, smelling the money, jump on the bandwagon and play to the crowd, adding their own myths, questionable claims, and distortions to the mix."

   "The idea for the Mozart Effect originated in 1993 at the University of California, Irvine, with physicist Gordon Shaw and Frances Rauscher, a former concert cellist and an expert on cognitive development. They studied the effects on a few dozen college students of listening to the first 10 minutes of the Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (K.448). They found a temporary enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning, as measured by the Stanford-Binet IQ test. No one else has been able to duplicate their results. One researcher commented that the "very best thing that could be said of their [Shaw's and Rauscher's] experiment-were it completely uncontested-would be that listening to bad Mozart enhances short-term IQ" (Linton). Rauscher has moved on to study the effects of Mozart on rats. Both Shaw and Rauscher have speculated that exposure to Mozart enhances spatial-reasoning and memory in humans. "

   Note that the only scientific tests were performed on college students.

   If you want to listen to Mozart, great. Just buy a CD that does not insult your intelligence by making ridiculous claims.

2 comments about Baby Einstein: Music Box Orchestra.

1. I purchased several of the Baby Einstein CD's for my soon to be born grand-daughter. I found them to be calming, soothing, or happy and playful, depending on which CD you are listening to. I would definately recommend these CD's to any mother who might be having a hard time calming a crying baby, to help an infant fall asleep at night or to add just a bit more fun to playtime.



2. Our baby loves it! We tried this CD in the car and are now avid roadsters again. This and the other soothing CD "Nursery Lullaby" are the best! Wish we tried it earlier!

5 comments about Nick At Nite: A Classic Cartoon Christmas, Too.

1. I got this CD because it features the cult favorites "Heat Miser" and "Snow Miser" from A Year Without a Santa Claus. There are some other good songs from the classic Christmas cartoons Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. But I hardly think that Ren & Stimpy, Madeline and The Beginner's Bible can be considered "classic Christmas cartoons" (although I like Ren & Stimpy). And with a 22 minutes running time, this CD is way too short. But it's still worth getting just for "Heat Miser" and "Snow Miser".



2. I love Christmas music and I love that this CD put out by the Nick at Nite people has songs from the Christmas specials I watched when I was little. I think every song is wonderful but I especially like the Snow Miser and Heat Miser songs and I very highly recommend this wonderful CD which is just as great as the first ick A Nite Christmas CD!



3. The first album was spectacular. The Miser songs, First Toy Maker, and Silver and gold were Classics but some of the others I haven't heard in my lifetime and I have been watching since Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer came out in when I was one. Gave it a generous 3 since I enjoyed half of the album.



4. This CD is cute and fun, has a lot of Classics from Christmas specials and movies! My favorites are the songs from The Year Without A Santa Claus, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. I rate it a 5 for how fun and lively this CD is, it is just filled with silly Christmas fun that is great for both children and adults!



5. For some reason, my previous review was posted as though I had not actually purchased the CD. I did.

   I bought it for the two songs (Heat Miser/Snow Miser).

   I hated all the other songs.